Discharge mechanism



Feb. 28, 1933. v L. c. was 1,899,356

DISCHARGE MECHANISM Filed May 21, 1951 2 Sheets-sheaf, 1'

Feb. 28, 1933. L. c. REIS 1,899,356

DISCHARGE MECHANISM Filed May 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I-IPIIIl www ww Patented Feb. 2 s, 1933 UNITE-D mus BEIS, DULUTH, Imam DISCHARGE MECHANISM Application filed may 21, 1931. Serial no. 539,065.

This invention relates to mechanism for discharging billets and like objects from furnacesandmore particularly fromcontinuous reheatingfurnaces.

In theoperationof a continuous'rod mill furnace steel billets are fed into ,a reheating furnace bymeans of pinch rolls and are pushed gradually down a sloping hearthgat right angles to thedirection of entry by any suitable mechanical, pusher. The billets by the time they reach the discharge end of the furnace are heated to the proper temperature and are then pushed into" roughing rolls.- This feeding to the roughing rollshas hereto'forebeen done by means of a long rod or pusher driven between pinch rolls by pressure and guided by an attendant who walks along with the rod. .Whena billet has entered the roughing rolls it trips a floor lever, releasing-the rod from-the grip of the pinch rolls and drags it backin, readiness for the next billet.- When the roughing mill is ready for another billet the operator: signals the attendant by means of a, whistle;

. Some of the serious objections to thisman nerof discharging billets are that an undue amount of labor, is required since two men operate on a turn-,in order torelieve each otherat intervals due to the intense heat. Also the pusher rods had to-befcooled 00 1- tinuously and for that reason a supply was kept on hand requiring occasionalqreplace ment and therefore additional expense.

I A further and more serious objection was thelack of coordination between the operator of the roughing rolls and the attendant on account of the furnace obstructing the view. It is in overcoming these difficulties that the present invention has particular merit.

. An object of the invention is to provide a billet pusher having means to withstand the intense heat of reheating furnaces and furnaces of similar types and, which will be capable of movement in a plurality of directions, having a forward and rearward stroke and movement laterally thereto.

. Afurther' object is ,to provide discharge mechanism for discharging billets from reheating furnaces wherein the 'pusherp'or dis? cerned with the discharge meansfor, the bilchargemeans, will be; automatically controlled at a point remote therefromby the roughing mill operatorL, I v With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain 5 novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto. if V i o In the drawings, which illustrate an'ein-o bodiment of the device and wherein like ref V erence characters are used to designate like parts I e :I Z Figure l is a perspective view ofia reheating furnace showing associated therewith dischargemechanismjconstructed in accord ance with the present invention.

Figure 2 isva sectional view showing the Figure 8Yisa sectional view taken at angles to Figure'2.

Flgure 4 1s :a transverse, sectional-view showing a modified form of operating means J for imparting movement to the carriage;

Flgure 5 is a perspective view showing still another modified form for operatingthe car-- rlage. I v Th6, fIlI1V8I1tlOI1QlS disclosed as associated w1th [a conventional type r of reheating fufrnacelO havingwalls 11 which-arebroken away for the purpose'ofdisclosing the. interiorof the furnaceethe walls supporting-in sloping position a furnace bed or hearth 12. The furnace is provided with a plurality of o 35 doorsl3 and 14, the former for permitting exit of the billets to the roughinglrolls 15, While the door 14: is provided for allowing the pusher arm'to project into the furnaee and to be operated from the exterior of the same. The billets 16 are fed into the furnace by any suitable form of discharge means which buildsuponthe'bed 12 a 'lurality of billets and after being subjected to the intense heat the same arein condition tobe diulcharged through door 13 to theroughing I e. The presentlinvention is primarily conlets and includes a pusher arm 17 having to the furnace adjacent the formed on the end adapted to project into the furnace a hollow head 18 provided with a heel portion 19 and an arcuatefinger portion 20. The opposite end of the pusher arm 17 is formed to provide a channel portion 21 having on its underside a rack 22 for purposes to be presently described. A-portion of the pusher arm 17 is made tubular, as shown in Figure 2, in which is positioned a fluid supply pipe 23, the pipe terminating in the finger portion 20 of the pusher head 18. By means of the hose connection 24 the pipe23 is supplied with a cooling medium such as water, which is discharged in the pusher head and is then conducted through the tubular portion of the arm 17 to the discharge hose connection 25. By the above construction the pusher arm and particularly the head 18 is continuously cooled so that the same can withstand the intense heat of the furnace without deteriorating.

Any suitable base or foundation 26 located adjacent the reheating furnace forms a support for members 27 on the upper surface of which is formed tracks 28. A carriage, designated in its'entirety by reference numeral 30, is mounted for-sliding movement upon themembers 27 and includes spaced uprights 31 connected by a cross member 32, the uprights having 7 suitably mounted thereon Wheels 33 adapted to engage the tracks 28. The carriage constructed so that the channel port-ion 21 of the pusher arm'is suitably supported thereby, the portion of the arm adjacent door 14 being supported in a manner to permit longitudinal movement of the arm as well as transverse movement of the arm by means of a metal support 34 secured oor, which support has secured thereto shaft 35 the grooved pulley 36.

A reversing motor 38 is positioned adjacent the carriage 30 and is operatively connect'ed to a sliding shaft 40 by means of a speed reduction device 41. One end of the sliding shaft 40 is rotatably mounted in the carriage 30 and has non-rotatably secured thereto a pinion 42 adaptedto have meshing j ournaling engagement with rack 22- provided on the pusher arm. On the opposite end of shaft 40 is formed a plurality of grooves 43 which connect the shaft with the speed reducing device 41 in such a manner as to have imparted thereto rotary movement, and permitting sliding movement of shaft 40 with respect to the device 41. By this structure the carriage 30 is able to have transverse movement on the members 27 while theshaft 40 will be directly drivenat all times from the motor 38. For maintaining the carriage 30 on the members 27 with the wheels 33 rolling in the tracks 28 a depending arm 44 is provided having a roller 45 which'engages the undersurface of the projecting ledge 46.

The operator of the roughing rolls 15 is adapted to stand at the right hand end of the furnace, Figure 1, to the control lever 47 and the carriage lever 48 so that through operation of these levers the pusher arm can be caused to execute a forward and rearward movement or can be shifted transversely so as to align the same with the billets on the hearth 12. The furnace is provided with an inspection door 50 so that the operator has a View of the interior of the furnace and can efficiently control the operation of the pusher arm 17. Actuation of the lever 47 in one direction will cause the motor to rotate, which rotation will be imparted through shaft 40 to pinion 42, causing the pusher arm to be retracted. The operator then, byactuation of lever 48 connected to the longitudinal shaft 51 through arm 52 and link 53,

causes the sliding movement of the carriage i 30 in a direction to align heel 19 of the pusher head with the next billet to be discharged from the furnace. Then this operation has been completed movement of lever 47 in the Opposite direction will cause the motor to reverse its direction of rotation, imparting through shaft 40 a forward discharge stroke to the pusher arm, which will accordingly push from the furnace the billet in engagement therewith.

In Figure 4 a modified form of operating means for the carriage is disclosed, comprising double acting air cylinders 55 and 56 each having associated therewith a piston or plunger 57. Positioned intermediate the pusher 57 is 'a collar 58 having connection to the cross member 32 of the carriage. By an unequal distribution of the air pressure in the cylinders55 and 56 the carriage can be positioned as desired.

In Figure 5 another form of operating means for the carriage is disclosed comprising an electrically actuated solenoid 60 which has connection through a bell crank 61 and the link 53 with the carriage 30. By energization of the solenoid 60 it is possible to cause actuation of the bell crank 61 in either direction which will impart the desired movement to the carriage 30 so that the same can be positioned as desired.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown, which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation, I as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In discharge mechanism, in combination with a billet reheating furnace having i aligned openings, a pusher arm for discharging billets from the furnace, means for supporting the arm at one of said furnace-openings permitting lateral movement within the limitsof the opening, a r'ackformed on the outer end of the arm, a carriage mounted v for movement transversely of the furnace and having means mounting therack end of the arm, power means stationarily mounted adjacent the carriage, a shaft extending'from the power means and being journalled in the carriage, means on the V shaft meshing with the rack on the arm,- and connections fromthe carriage to the exit end of the furnace for operating the carriage at a point :remote therefrom.

2. In discharge mechanism, a pusher arm for discharging,billetsfrom a' furnace, a

- movable carriage located adjacent said furnace, said carriage. forming; supporting means for the pusher arm and adapted to be positioned to align said arm-With the billets in the furnace, and means associatedwith the carriage for reciprocating the-arm, including a shaft *rotatably mounted in said carriage, and power means stationarily mounted adjacent the carriage and slidabiy receiving the shaft, whereby said arm 1s i actuated independently of the movement of the carriage.

Si 'ned at Duluth, Minnesota, this 9th day of ay, 931. I LOUIS C. REIS. 

